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Hispanic Studies

HISP 101 - Elementary Spanish I

Pronunciation, grammar essentials, conversation and reading. Three class hours a week plus one hour of tutorial. Minimal introduction to history and culture of hispanophone countries. For admission into HISP 102, students must have completed HISP 101, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.

Frequency: Every semester.

HISP 102 - Elementary Spanish II

Pronunciation, grammar essentials, conversation and reading. Three class hours a week plus one hour of tutorial. Minimal introduction to history and culture of hispanophone countries. For admission into HISP 203, students must have completed HISP 102, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.

HISP 110 - Accelerated Beginning Spanish

Accelerated Spanish 110 meets the goals of Elementary Spanish I and II (HISP 101 and HISP 102) in one semester. It covers pronunciation, grammar essentials, conversation and reading. This course is appropriate for students with significant prior experience in Spanish or another appropriate language and for students who are highly self-motivated and able to learn foreign languages quickly. Successful completion allows enrollment in Intermediate Spanish. Students will not receive credit for this course if they've previously taken or been awarded credit for HISP 101 and/or HISP 102. Three class hours a week plus two hours of tutorial. For admission into HISP 203 or HISP 220, students must have completed HISP 110, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s)

Registration in the course is contingent on consent of the instructor.

This course is appropriate for students who are strongly self-motivated. High intermediate or advanced skills in Spanish or another Romance language, or previous work in Portuguese, will prove particularly helpful to the student. Exceptions to these guidelines may be made with the instructor's consent.

HISP 151 - Caribbean Literature and Culture: Aesthetics of Resistance

Explore literary, visual and musical expressions of resistance against colonialism and neocolonialism in the Caribbean, and examine street performance as a means of redefining public space and creating community. Students will learn about the tensions between culture and capital. Offered as a First Year Course only.

HISP 171 - Susurros del Pasado: Whispers Toward the 21st Century

This course explores expressions of indigenismos both past and present throughout the Americas. Students will examine literary, historical and political texts that convey the ongoing struggle of Native Americans to retain cultural and sociopolitical autonomy in North and South America. Offered as a First Year Course only.

HISP 194 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

HISP 203 - Intermediate Spanish I

Intermediate Spanish extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Spanish. Formal introduction to history and culture of Hispanophone countries. For admission into HISP 204, students must have completed HISP 203, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.

HISP 220 - Accelerated Intermediate Spanish

Accelerated Spanish 220 meets the goals of Intermediate Spanish I and II (HISP 203 and HISP 204) in one semester. It extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Spanish, and it introduces the history and culture of Hispanophone countries. This course is appropriate for students with significant prior experience in Spanish and for students who are highly self-motivated and able to learn foreign languages quickly. Successful completion allows enrollment in 300-level courses in Spanish. Students will not receive credit for this course if they've previously taken or been awarded credit for HISP 203 and/or HISP 204. Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial. For admission into any Hispanic Studies 300- or 400- level course, students must have completed HISP 220, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s)

Consent of instructor.

HISP 294 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

Primarily designed to improve oral communication and to strengthen the student's written proficiency and his or her awareness of grammar intricacies. In relation to writing, it serves as a bridge to upper-level courses. Conversations and compositions are based on cultural and literary topics. Class activities vary according to the instructor but usually include five to fifteen minute presentations, interviews with native speakers, commentary on videos and movies, short stories, plays and short novels, writing strategies, and self-correction exercises. It often involves extensive reading appropriate to the level.

HISP 307 - Introduction to the Analysis of Hispanic Texts

This course presents the student with essential tools for the critical analysis of a broad range of topics and forms of cultural production (literature, cinema, art, e-texts, etc.) in the Hispanic world. It also teaches the student advanced language skills in written composition and public oral presentation.

HISP 308 - Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Studies

This course provides an interdisciplinary discussion of the Latino experience in the United States with a focus on Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban- Americans. Using fiction, poetry, films and critical essays, we will examine issues of race and ethnicity, language, identity, gender and sexuality, politics, and immigration.

HISP 309 - Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics

A linguistic survey of the Spanish language aimed at improving pronunciation and increasing comprehension of the structure of the language, deepening students' understanding of the sound system, word formation, grammar and meaning. Study will emphasize phonetics and provide an introduction to transcription, phonology, morphology and syntax, as well as provide an overview of linguistic change and geographic variation.

HISP 331 - Luso-Brazilian Voices: Conversations and Composition

Contemporary Brazil and Portugal are sites of profound and exciting cultural expression and social change. Luso-Brazilian Voices explores some of the socio-political pressures that have led to a modern renaissance in writing, popular music, cinema, as well as the fusion of genres made possible by today's digital technologies. A systematic review of these cultural expressions provides the context for students to practice and refine their oral and written Portuguese skills. Taught in Portuguese. Successful completion of this course satisfies the Macalester College two-year foreign language requirement and can be applied toward the major or minor in Hispanic Studies. Three class hours per week plus tutorial.

HISP 391 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

HISP 394 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

HISP 414 - Here and There: Superando Límites/Crossing Boundaries

Living an identity that is multipositional is a familiar reality for many people in the 21st century. The seventeenth century Hispanic world reveals surprisingly diverse and complex societies in which literature—and sometimes life itself—provided a space for trying on different social clothes, so to speak, in an exploration of early modern identity. This course will allow students to enjoy prose, drama, poetry and historiography from both Spain and Spanish America and to witness how writers from both sides of the Atlantic were pushing aesthetic and societal limits of religion, ethnicity and gender in their writing. We view Baroque art from Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and colonial Mexico and Peru, and read some pertinent critical perspectives that will help enrich our readings of the literature. To bring the plays to life, students will select fragments of dramas to "rescript" and perform for their classmates. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

In the Old World, Spain defined its national identity by locating its "others" in Jews, conversos , Muslims, moriscos , Turks, gypsies, pirates and Protestants. In the New World, Spaniards employed many of the same discursive and legal tactics—along with brute force—to subject Amerindian and African peoples to their will and their cultural norms. But indigenous and African populations in the Americas actively countered colonization. They rejected slavery and cultural imposition through physical rebellion, the use of strategies of cultural preservation and the appropriation of phonetic writing, which they in turn wielded against European hegemony. We will examine a fascinating corpus of indigenous pictographic codexes, architecture, myths, and histories and letters of resistance, along with a rich spectrum of texts in which peoples of African descent affirm their own subjectivity in opposition to slavery and cultural violence. What will emerge for students is a complex, heterogeneous vision of the conquest and early colonization in which non-European voices speak loudly on their own behalf. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

Europeans were by no means the first peoples to explore new territories and human populations. Renaissance scientific methodology, however, led European travelers to meticulously document each New World encounter in writing and develop new tools with which to navigate and represent space, devices that subsequently became weapons of colonial domination. But as Nature and indigenous populations refused to be subjected to European epistemology, failure and disaster were frequent events: shipwrecks left Old World survivors stranded among unknown lands and peoples in the Americas; Amerindians rejected the imposition of a foreign culture and religion, murdering colonists and missionaries; Africans rebelled against slavery and escaped to mountains and jungles to form autonomous communities. An examination of maps, exploration logs, missionary histories, travel literature, historiography and colonial documents will provide the foundation for this course on the ambivalent reality of the Old World's encounter with the Americas, in which Europeans were often the losers. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 417 - El Quijote as Timeless Text

Miguel de Cervantes' El ingenioso Don Quijote de la Mancha is one of the most beloved and influential literary texts in all of world literature. In this course, students will not only engage in a careful and delightful reading of the entire text, but will also examine limitations and literary creations inspired through time by the classic. In order to understand how Quijote was received according to historical moment, we will explore critical perspectives on the text from across the centuries. Students will enjoy myriad artistic representations of Don Quijote and view and critique contemporary musical and filmic productions inspired by the text. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 419 - "Neither Saints Nor Sinners": Women Writers of the Early Modern Hispanic World

Sixteenth- and seventeenth- century women writers were in constant dialogue with their male counterparts and dedicated much of their energy to debunking myths of female purity, passivity and ignorance. To this end, they created female protagonists of great strength and integrity. Exploring themes such as life in the convent, the mujer varonil and the mujer vestida de hombre , we will look at many peninsular as well as New World women authors who were busy challenging both social and aesthetic norms in their writing. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 420 - One Hundred Years of Plenitude: Modern and Postmodern Hispanic Fiction

The rise of modern fiction produced a series of remarkable novels in Latin America and Spain throughout the 20th century and into the present. The course will focus primarily on the Latin American "Boom" from the 1960s onwards. We will also study the appearance and enduring presence of postmodernism in Hispanic fiction. The course refines the analysis of literary works from a variety of perspectives (historical, political, social, ethical, aesthetic, etc.) and provides a comprehensive view of the evolution of Hispanic narrative from the dawn of modernity to the present. It targets those students who enjoy literature and believe in the pleasure of the text. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 421 - Romantics, Moderns and Avant-Gardists

Uncovering a panorama of Spanish culture from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the Civil War in 1936, we focus on the evolution of literature and the arts during the periods of Romanticism, Realism, Modernism and the Avant-Garde in an attempt to describe the faces of modernity in Spain. Authors that are usually studied include José Zorrilla, Rosalía de Castro, Benito Pérez Galdós, Emilia Pardo Bazán, Miguel de Unamuno, Ramón María del Valle Includeán, José Ortega y Gasset, Luis Buñuel, and Federico Garcí­a Lorca. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 422 - Modern Hispanic Novel and the Visual Arts

We use an interdisciplinary approach to narrative that focuses on the cooperation between the written and the visual text. For example, how did nineteenth-century painting influenced the novel? Or, what are the connections between cinematic adaptations of narratives? We also consider the perennial dilemma of literal versus personal interpretation. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 425 - Dictators, Revolutions and Insurrections

Modern Hispanic cultural production in response to dictators, revolutions, and socio-political repression was varied and pointed. Students read a variety of contemporary authors and analyze how they represent social realities in discourse that reflects and informs societal changes. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 426 - Parody in the Postmodern Hispanic World

Western societies and literary traditions use parody to measure, shape, and change cultural values and identities. Parody is considered to be an amorphous genre that adapts itself and evolves in time, along with the cultural environments in which it exists. This course offers students the opportunity to examine the concept of parody and its application to specific narrative texts produced in the Hispanic world during its postmodern era. Texts examined include fiction and non-fiction, cinematic, and other multimedia arts. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 427 - Dramatic Words: Hispanic Theater and Poetry

Explores representative plays and poems from diverse authors and periods of Latin America, Spain, and/or the United States. An important component of this class is an examination of how theatre and poetry can shape individual and national consciousness. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 430 - Advanced Spanish Grammar: Meaning and Communication

An overview of the intricacies of advanced Spanish grammar, providing extensive oral and written practice to improve students' grammatical accuracy as well as overall understanding of the structure of the language. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 431 - Spanish in the Workplace

Students will acquire a working knowledge of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures as related to the bilingual workplace in the United States and abroad. Emphasis is placed on fields such as health care and medicine, legal matters and law enforcement, social services, and business. Students pursue individual interests in specific career areas with a service learning component. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 433 - Translation: Theory/Practice

This discussion/writing course explores certain contemporary translation theories that guide the practice of translation of various kinds of texts, including, but not limited to, literature, film, propaganda, advertising, and commerce. The primary goal, however, is to produce high quality translations of a wide variety of texts. Students work in Spanish and/or Portuguese and English. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 435 - History of the Spanish Language

An overview of Modern Spanish as it has developed over time. Course will trace the historical evolution of the most salient phonological, morpho-syntactic and lexical traits of Modern Spanish and will include study of the origins of American Spanish. Students will also be introduced to some of the principal theories of language change. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 436 - Spanish Dialectology

A survey of modern dialectal variations of Spanish that includes examination of American Spanish dialects as well as those of the Iberian Peninsula. Sociolinguistic issues and historical aspects of dialect variation and study will be addressed, along with other extralinguistic factors. Through this course, students will be provided an introduction to theories of language change, as well as the history of the language, and will gain a broad understanding of the different varieties of Modern Spanish. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 437 - Applied Linguistics: Spanish Second Language Acquisition

An overview of research projects on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language. Students will learn about the theoretical approaches used in these studies as well as the effects of various pedagogical approaches on the development of Spanish interlanguage systems. While the focus of the course is on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language, students will gain a broad and useful understanding of different pedagogical issues directly related to the acquisition/learning process(es) of other second languages. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 442 - Nation and Identity in the Hispanic World

An examination of the origins and issues surrounding the formation and the evolution of nation-building in Spain, Latin America, and the United States. Past and current movements and allegiances are seen through the writings of key political, social, and philosophical authors. Such issues as regional autonomy in Spain, indigenous initiatives in Latin America, the Chicano movement in the United States, trade agreements, etc., are considered from early colonization through imperial expansion to present-day globalization. This course satisfies the Area 4 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 443 - The Reality of Contemporary Spain: Challenges and Dilemmas

This course presents an overview of the evolution of life in Spain since the death of Franco, through the socialist period and Spain's entry into the European Union until today. Art, music, literature and film will serve as the bases for lectures and discussions of some of Spain's current challenges and achievements, namely, unemployment, immigration, language and identity, terrorism, and the impact of the Euro on the economy and on everyday life. This course satisfies the Area 4 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 444 - The Family as History: The Stories of US Latinos

Examine and compare the stories of Latinas/os in the United States as told by themselves. Students will read authors of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, and Mexican American origin. We will place a special emphasis on practices and values held both here and in the cultures of origin. The course will cover such subjects as family, social and economic struggles, individual aspirations and spiritual needs. The course will highlight language issues and use film to complement the readings. This course satisfies the Area 4 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 445 - Frontera: The U.S./Mexico Border

The border region between the United States and Mexico exists as both a physical space and an ideological construct. This seminar uses literary and filmic narratives to explore issues of identity, opportunity, and violence that arise from this contested space. How does the border shape individual and cultural identities? In what ways does the border create opportunities for both advancement and exploitation? How do these works engage conflicts and tensions of race, nationalism, gender, and power? The course will include writers and filmmakers from both countries, and we will read original texts both in Spanish and English.

HISP 446 - Constructions of a Female Killer

The rise in femicide across Latin America, most shockingly exhibited in the city of Juarez, Mexico, has resulted in broad discussions of women's relationship with violence. However, what happens when the traditional paradigm is inverted and we explore women as perpetrators, rather than victims, of violence? This class will dialogue with selected Latin American and Latino narratives (including novels, short stories, films, and newspapers) constituting different representations of women who kill. This course satisfies the Area 4 requirement for the Hispanic & Latin American Studies major.

HISP 488 - Senior Seminar

The senior seminar is a capstone course that explores in depth a shifting field of topics. It helps students relate the subjects they have studied in their major field and assists students in demonstrating their familiarity with Hispanic cultures and in methods of analysis and presentation, culminating in the preparation and presentation of a major research project. It is primarily a discussion course that relies heavily on individual as well as collective effort. Required for Hispanic Studies majors. Category varies.

Frequency: Every spring.

Prerequisite(s)

HISP 307 or LATI 307 plus at least two literature courses offered in the Department of Hispanic Studies, or consent of the instructor.

HISP 494 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

HISP 601 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 602 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 603 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 604 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 611 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 612 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 613 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 614 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s)

Permission of instructor.

HISP 621 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s)

Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.

HISP 622 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s)

Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.

HISP 623 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s)

Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.

HISP 624 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s)

Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.

HISP 631 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s)

Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.

HISP 632 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s)

Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.

HISP 633 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s)

Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.

HISP 634 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s)

Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.